Shielding Mists
by Jacob Kindar
Summary: First Fanfic! A Pandaren washes up on the shore of Westfall, and is found by a Human Paladin, and they begin traveling through Azeroth together. Takes place just before the first Cataclysm, and through the Mists of Pandaria expansion. I probably will butcher the lore a little, maybe screw with the timeline a little, so all you lore-hounds, don't bring the hammer down on me, please.
1. Liriana's fall, Mayik's find

Hello ! Welcome to my first Fanfic:

**Shielding Mists**

**Everything in this story (except the main characters, they are MINE! And my friend's…..) belong to Blizzard. This is for entertainment purposes only. This story takes place just before and after the Sundering. " " is for comments, **_**italics **_**is for thoughts, and** this is for normal story fluff, (A/n) **is for notes I put into the story. Enjoy!**

**Character Bio's**

Liriana Mistpaw, or "Liria": A proud, curious, and somewhat shy Pandaren Monk. Fell off the Wandering Isle during a duel with another trainee. Washes up on the coast of Westfall. Travels alongside Mayik Morinar. Age: 20

Mayik Morinar: A righteous, humorous, and benevolent Human Paladin. Brother to Aliyaa. A veteran of the Northrend campaign. Defends the ones he loves. Assists Liriana when he is able to. Age: 25

Aliyaa Morinar: A serious, good-natured, and helpful Worgen Priest. Separated at birth from Mayik Morinar, family broken up by Gilneas being walled off . Travels with Dorin Shadowwind and Vinder. Age: 23

Dorin Shadowwind: A proud, defensive, and confronting Night Elf Rogue. Fought in the Battle for Gilneas. Travels with Aliyaa Morinar and Vinder. Smitten by Aliyaa. Age: 27

Vinder: A cold, dark, and relentless Dwarf Death Knight. Was one of the original Death Knights to break free of the Lich King's control. Travels with Aliyaa Morinar and Dorin Shadowwind. Age: ?

"Liria!" came from behind.

Liriana Mistpaw turned, and, seeing her old friend Ranjo running in her direction, smiled. Liriana was slightly short for a Pandaren (A/n: Pandaren are slightly taller than a human male in-game, Liriana is about as tall as one.), had black fur, jade green eyes, peach fur on her face, and had a black pony-tail reaching down to the base of her back, with a green tuft of hair above her forehead. She wore her monk's outfit, consisting of a jade green vest and matching jade pants.

He finally caught up with her, panting slightly. Ranjo had gray fur, with the same peach colored fur on his face. Ranjo wore a similar outfit to Liriana's, except his was maroon colored.

"Ranjo! What are you doing here? You didn't come to ask me out for lunch, have you? " she joked.

"Nope, but I did manage to snag a dumpling from the kitchen. You look like you need it; you lost a little bit of weight." He half-joked back, offering her a dumpling.

"Eh, no thanks, I'm not really hungry, and I seriously do not see the appeal of having a heavier weight. Sure, it shows healthiness, but I can move faster and fight better if I am lighter." She explained. The Pandaren people saw strength in weight, but she didn't. She saw the appeal of having a lower weight.

"Suit yourself. I was just offering." He said as he practically swallowed the dumpling whole.

"So…why did you really come looking for me? The dumpling couldn't have been the only thing you wanted to talk about."

"Two other things, but I came to challenge you to a sparring match."

"Really? Right here and now?" she questioned, .

"Yes, right now. Not here though, not enough room to roll. There should be room at the meditation area across the creek there." He answered, beginning to head that way. She followed, walking over a bridge to a small clearing. She took her position on one side of the clearing, with Ranjo on the other.

"Alright, let me put my handwraps on." She said, wrapping her hands with the cloth that monks used. She took her fighting stance, ready for anything. "Wait, shouldn't we back away from the edge of the island?" she had realized how close they were to the edge, a gap in the rocks being to the left of where she was standing.

"Nah, we will be fine!" he laughed back. "Are you ready, Liria?"

"Ready!"

He rolled in her direction, rising out of it into a jab to her midsection. She blocked the jab, striking back with her own. He took the jab to the chest, but it did little harm to him. He countered by curling his fingers inwards towards his palm, performing a Tiger Palm, hitting her square in the chest, knocking her back a little.

Another trainee saw them talking about sparring, and had ran to tell everyone, resulting in a massive amount of spectators. A crowd had gathered, cheering for one or the other, some even making friendly bets. One trainee bet on Ranjo to win, betting a week of cleaning another monk's room. Another monk countered, betting that Liriana would win, with the same bet of a week of cleaning the room of the monk who bet on Ranjo.

Rolling backwards from the blow, Liriana rolled into a tree, kicked off it, and rolled back into Ranjo. She coated her foot in Sha, negative emotion, energy. She then lashed out with a Blackout Kick, hitting him square in the jaw, harming him for than the jab did. He stumbled back a little, thrown off balance by the forceful blow. She followed by a Tiger Palm of her own, forcing him back even more. He rolled backwards, much like Liriana did, except he popped back up, ready to react at a moment's notice.

Three more added to the crowd, who were cheering their hearts out. The current master of the training grounds, Master Shang Xi, and his two best pupils, Aysa Cloudsinger, and Ji Firepaw, had heard the commotion, and came to investigate.

The two monks were in a not-so-deadly dance, lashing out at each other, dodging and blocking the other monk's attacks. Ranjo lashing out with Tiger Palms, only to be blocked and countered with Liriana's Blackout Kicks.

Eventually Ranjo began to tire, his attacks becoming sluggish. Seeing the opportunity, Liriana rolled past his Blackout Kick, and returned with her own kick. Ranjo took the hit to the back of his head, falling to his knees.

Panting, Liriana turned to the crowd, causing a chorus of cheers to erupt from the crowd.

"I win this fight, Ranjo." She announced.

"Not this time!"

"Wha-?" she was able to get out before taking a Tiger Palm to the side. What Ranjo didn't take into account was how close Liriana was to the water, her other side being within a few feet of the edge.

"NO!" Ranjo yelled, as Liriana looked at him with a look of terror, falling off the side of the Isle. He reached for her, but was too slow. Liriana plunged into the water, being pushed away by the ocean waves.

"She's…..gone….." he whispered with a look of disbelief "no….NO….HOW COULD I BE SO STUPID?!"

He got ready to jump in after her, but was stopped by Aysa and Ji blocking his path.

"She is gone Ranjo, there is nothing you can do for her." He heard from behind him.

"That was too reckless of a move, Ranjo." Aysa said, Ji agreeing with her.

"I am sorry, but going after her is way too risky, the most we can do is hope that she survives, and either we find her, or a good individual does." Master Shang Xi said.

"I…I…yes, you are right, master."

**Some Time Later**

Liriana woke up, with her face in the sand.

_Where am I? Where did I wash up?_ She wondered as she fell unconscious again.

**Scene Break**

"Sir Mayik! Sir! Wait up!" called a page.

A man turned, clad in gold colored armor, with an old hammer hung on his waist. He had very light skin, a small amount of hair on his face, with an inch or two of brown hair.

The courier slowed, coming to a halt in front of the paladin.

"S-sir, the smith h-has requested to s-see you." The boy nervously stuttered.

"Thank you, erm…." He gave the boy a questioning look.

"A-Andrew, sir, my n-name is Andrew."

"Thank you Andrew, have a nice day, and don't be so nervous." He said, giving the boy a small pouch with twenty gold pieces in it, and turned to go to the smith.

"WAIT!" he quickly shouted "I was told to deliver this to you as well." He handed Mayik a letter.

"Ha-ha! Thank you, be a good lad now." Mayik laughed out, taking the note and beginning a leisurely walk to the smith. He entered the smoke filled Dwarven District of Stormwind. The smith was filled with even more smoke, and he could smell all kinds of different metals being smelted and forged: copper, iron, thorium, and to his surprise, even saronite and titanium.

"Oy, hello sir, Mayik I presume?" a dwarf asked, his face slightly blackened form the forge.

"Yes, you requested my presence?" he inquired.

"Aye, the king sent a request to me to have ye a new weapon made for your services to the Alliance in Northrend." He said with a grin, looking forward to the work ahead.

"Ah, that is a surprise!" returned the grin.

"Aye, so…what kind of weapon would you like? Sword? Axe?"

"A hammer please."

"Hrm….I don't know much about making hammers, though I may be able to do it. Any specifics?"

"Make it similar to this, if you can." He said, showing the dwarf his hammer.

"Aye, that's a mighty fine hammer, I might be able to make a new one. I got enough Titanium to do it." The dwarf said, looking over the old iron hammer.

"Wait, Titanium? That will make a very fine hammer." He said, surprised at the material requested by the king.

"Not titanium, it will be made of Titansteel, a bonding of elements and titanium, stronger and lighter than the materials used to make it!" He shouted with glee, excited to work with a very fine material.

"How long until it is complete?" He questioned.

"Only a few days, maybe less if me forge likes me." That gleam still in his eye.

"Thank you, I shall return in a few days." Mayik said as he turned to leave, pulling out the note from the boy.

As he stepped outside, he unfolded the note, reading the message.

_Mayik_

_I assume you have met with the smith and determined your new weapon. The whole thing is being paid for by the crown, do not worry. I hope it serves you well in the days to come._

_Now then, down to business. There is a strange report from Westfall: The defias are rising again. I know you cleared them out years ago, but they are back. I need you to go to Westfall, and figure out what the hell the defias are up to. Put a stop to them if you can._

_Sincerely  
King Varian Wrynn_

Mayik stowed the note away, and called for his horse, Lightfire.

"Let's go girl, we are going to Westfall." he said, pulling himself into the saddle. Lightfire whinnied, knowing exactly where to go. They trotted out of the gates of Stormwind, and into Elwynn forest. He stopped about an hour later in Goldshire for a rest and purchase supplies for the trip. (A/n: I am making short trips very long, no use stopping at all when you can run from one side of the world to the other in an hour ) He purchased a few loaves of bread, some slabs of meat, and a couple bags of horse feed. He started again towards Westfall, stopping at the garrison near the border for the night. Lightfire was tied into the stables, and Mayik went into the garrison after feeding her some of the feed he bought.

He ate his dinner, a stew made from bear, wolf, and boar meat that was served to the soldiers, and went to bed in the barracks. He had an uneasy night, tossing and turning, until eventually he woke up, his final dream being of seeing a mound of black fur face down in the sand.

He had his breakfast, only eating a couple pieces of his bread supply, and then fed Lightfire. He got into the saddle and headed off again.

He arrived at the Westfall border, to find a man, a woman, and their horse dead, with the cart turned upside down.

"Is that….the Furlbrows?! Old Blanchy?" he gasped as he neared the site, the whole thing surrounded by investigators.

"Stand back sir, this is a crime scene, move alo-"he noticed Mayik wasn't a simple traveler. "Ah, you must be Mayik, the one the king sent to help with this investigation."

"Yes, I am. The king believes that the defias are rising again."

"Hmm, I am not so sure, but whatever case it may be, we have some VERY slight leads, if a little crazy."

"What are your leads?" he questioned.

"We got two of em, gnolls and murlocs. A little stupid, but they are our only ones." The investigator answered.

"Okay, where do I find them?"

"They are both out to the west; the gnolls are on a cliffside, while the murlocs are below them, on the shore below." He explained, pointing past a nearby farm.

"Thank you; can you watch my horse for me? I don't want her to get in the middle of this." Mayik requested. The last time Lightfire jumped to his aid, she nearly lost a leg to a Death Knight.

"Sure, sure, just bring back any evidence you find." The man agreed.

"I will be back later, hopefully with evidence." Mayik announced as he left, headed towards the cliff.

Sometime later, he spotted a camp, with black furred gnolls sitting at the fire. He charged in, hammer swinging. He crushed one gnoll's skull before it could react, and, infusing his shield with holy energy, threw an Avenger's Shield at three more, killing them instantly. He smashed his hammer onto another gnoll who had swung at him, breaking its head open. He blocked the final one's swing, bashed it with his shield, and then swung his hammer up, shattering the gnoll's jaw. He put his hammer back on his belt, not even breaking a sweat. He rummaged around in the camp, finding only a bit of red cloth.

_This is about as good as I will find, on to the murlocs._

He made his way down the cliffs, finding a murloc camp, and disposed of them in a similar fashion, no sweat broken at all. He didn't find anything, and moved further down the beach. He saw a circle of murlocs gathered around a furry mound, the mound unmoving. He crept forward, trying not to be seen.

"Mrgl?" he heard

"Mrglglgl, mrgl."

"Mrglmrgl?"

"Mrgl" He saw the fourth one nod, and raised its sword. He instantly threw his Avenger's Shield, killing three of them, while the final one ran away. He focused, creating a hammer of holy energy, and threw a Hammer of Wrath at the fleeing murloc, smashing its neck from the force of the hit.

He walked up to the fourth, and found a note.

_Every form of…has been based…on the antagonism of oppressing and oppressed…._

…_..Nothing to lose, but your chains…_

…_the past cannot be forgiven….._

…_..will RISE AGAIN!..._

The ink was faded from the water, making the letter barely legible. He stowed the note, and turned to leave but stopped. He looked back at the furry lump, and walked to it. He noticed hair, clothes, and a coat of fur.

_Tauren?_

But it had no tail, and was much smaller than one. He bent down to turn it over, put his hand on the creature's shoulder, and it jerked.

It turned its head, and he saw jade green eyes looking into his. He saw a look of utter fear in those eyes.

**Well? What do ya think? Constructive criticism welcome. Any ideas? Thoughts? Complaints? Post em while I figure the site out.**

**Rough translation of the murloc conversation:**

"**What is it?"**

"**I don't know."**

" **Do we kill it?"**

"**We do."**

**LtDK….OUT!**


	2. To Stormwind

**Again, I own nothing in this story, except the main characters, the game is copyrighted by Blizzard.**

**All races can communicate with each other in this story.**

**Story start**

Liriana woke again, much later this time. She heard voices around her.

"Mrgl?" she heard

"Mrglglgl, mrgl."

"Mrglmrgl?"

"Mrgl." She heard something metal being raised.

_They are going to kill me…_

She braced for the blade to slice her neck. She then heard a strange noise, like something flying over her, and three bodies hitting the beach. She heard a pair of feet running away, and then another object flew over her head. She heard a small explosion, followed by more footsteps. She waited a minute, hoping the newcomer would not notice her. After a minute, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she jumped, and jerked her head up, afraid of what she would see.

She saw brown eyes looking at her with a look of curiousness and worry. She was too afraid to say anything, and just stared into them.

"Hey…are you okay?" the man asked, concern in his voice.

She just looked at him, too afraid to speak.

"It's okay, I won't harm you." He said in a soft voice.

Her fear dissipated a little, enough to let her speak, if a little hesitantly.

_He is gentle, kind…_

"Yes…I am...fine." She had gained enough courage to stand up, and saw the man's hand outstretched to help her up. She took his hand, and was pulled to her feet gently.

"What is your name?" the man asked.

…_curious, and helpful…_

"Liriana…Liriana Mistpaw." She answered. "Who are you?"

"Mayik, Mayik Morinar of the Alliance. I found you here passed out and about to be executed by Murlocs. Where are you from, and what exactly ARE you?" He gestured towards the three dead murlocs around them, and the one a little ways down the beach, then towards her.

_I think I can trust this person; he seems like a good man._

"I am a Pandaren, born and raised on the Wandering Isle." She explained.

"Ah, a Pandaren, I have read about your kind, though never thought of meeting one." He said. "Why are you here, and not on your island?" he asked.

"I…I was sparring with my old friend… and he accidentally knocked me off the island. I don't think I will be able to go back at all…what are you doing here?"

"I was sent here by my king to investigate the rise of an old gang I wiped out a few years ago. An old couple was killed, and I am looking for evidence as to who did it." He explained.

"Did you find anything?" she asked.

"I think so. I found some red cloth bits and this note here on one of the murlocs that was going to kill you," he said, passing her the note, "the ink is faded, so the note is nearly useless, same with the cloth, but the cloth could be from one of the gang members. Their trademark was their red cloths they wore over their face." He explained, taking back the note, after she read it.

"Where are you going now?" she asked.

"I am probably going to head back to the man who gave me the lead to come over this way." he answered, "Why?"

"I don't really know where I am, and have nowhere to go. I want to go back with you." She stated with a smile.

"I don't know…some people may think you are a gnoll, or a Tauren."

"Please?" she begged.

He contemplated her decision for a moment. "Hmm….okay, you can come with me. On one condition!"

"What is it?" she asked, perking up.

"Can you fight at all?"

She cracked a grin.

"I take that you can by that look, show me. Clear out that murloc camp over there." He pointed towards a camp further down the beach than where he came down.

She nodded, and started running towards the camp, ready to show the man what she could do.

"Wait, you don't have a weapon!" he called after her.

She laughed back at him. "I don't need one!" She shouted back at him.

_This won't end well….._ Mayik thought

Liriana neared the camp, the murlocs noticing her. They drew their weapons, and she rolled into the group. She attacked the first one in the group, jabbing it once in the stomach, then hit it in the face with a Tiger Palm, killing it. She heard the arcing and crackling of electricity.

_I have heard that sound way too much at the monastery._

She ducked, a Lightning Bolt flying over her head, hitting Mayik and burning his hand. The second one swung its club in her direction, only to have the club pushed to the side and getting hit in the face with a Tiger Palm.

Mayik's hand became covered in jade mist, the burn starting to go away.

She then turned to the one who threw the Lightning Bolt. She jabbed it once, then delivered a Blackout Kick to the murloc's neck, breaking it.

Mayik ran up to her "Uh…Liriana?" he slowly said.

"Yes?"

"Um… my hand was burned by that first lightning bolt thrown. When you were fighting, my hand began to heal, with a strange mist covering it." He plainly stated.

A look of shock appeared on her face as she looked at his hand, to see the burn was gone.

"I'm a…Mistweaver?" she had a look of disbelief, and was staring at her paws.

"A…what?" he questioned.

"A Mistweaver," she said, again, "monks who are mistweavers can control mist to soothe and heal others. Simply fighting things heals wounds too, but not as effectively as controlling the mists yourself." She explained.

"So...you are a healer then?" he asked.

"I guess so." She simply stated.

"Well, Liriana, it is probably time for me to head back, you are coming with me, correct?"

"If you will allow me to…" she said, with hope in her eyes.

"Well then, let us head back shall we?" he said with a small grin, and began heading back to the inspector, Liriana trailing behind him. When they neared the crime scene, Mayik's horse whinnied when she saw her rider returning, but eyed his companion curiously.

The inspector began to turn and greet Mayik, but stopped mid-sentence.

"Ah, sir Mayik, you have returned with—"the inspector trailed off, seeing Liriana.

"Gnoll!" one of the other investigators yelled, drawing his blade and charging at Liriana, the others following suit.

Liriana saw him coming, and instantly rolled past him, kicking him in the back. He went sprawling to the ground, the kick forcing him into the dirt, causing him to almost skewer himself with his sword.

_I knew this was going to happen…_ Mayik thought, but just stood back, wanting to see Liriana's real strength.

One of the other men charged, swinging his mace at her. She dodged his slow swing, and hit his arm with a Tiger Palm, nearly breaking it. He backed away from her, dropped his club, and passed out from the pain. The third and final one with his weapon out threw his dagger at her, barely cutting her cheek. She rolled forward, jabbed him, and then hit him in the stomach with a Blackout Kick. The man doubled over in pain, before passing out. The cut healed from the attack. Mayik began lazily clapping.

"Well done Liriana." he simply said. The inspector's jaw was hanging open. "Okay, now that this little scrap is over, I investigated those leads you gave me; I got this note from the murlocs, which is useless. From the gnolls, I got these cloth bits. I believe they are from a defias bandana, but I'm not sure." Mayik gave the inspector the two pieces of 'evidence'.

The inspector closed his mouth, and took the items. "Hmm…You may be right about the cloth, but I won't jump to conclusions. Thank you, you have been a big help, other than my men getting beat within an inch of their lives." He glared at Liriana, who simply giggled. "You are being called back to Stormwind, a boy delivered the message. The king wishes to speak with you, and you will have to explain her." He pointed at Liriana.

"How long ago did the boy stop by?" Mayik asked.

"Not long ago, if you ride fast you may be able to reach him soon." The inspector turned away.

"Thank you, I will take my leave of you then." Mayik said as he turned to climb onto Lightfire, who still eyed Liriana. "Lightfire, this is Liriana." He gestured towards his companion. "She will be joining us, I trust her."

"Hello Lightfire." Liriana softly said, reaching to pat the horse. Lightfire let Liriana pat her, trusting the newcomer almost instantly.

"Ha! Look like she likes you already. Care to get on?" He asked, reaching his hand down. He pulled her into the saddle, waited for her to get comfortable, and took off at a medium-paced trot.

They arrived at the Westfall and Elwynn Forest border, and saw a boy sitting on the bridge, throwing stones into the river below. The boy turned upon hearing horse hooves on cobble.

Mayik instantly recognized the boy. "Andrew?"

"Sir Mayik? I wasn't told I delivered a message meant for you." The boy said with surprise in his voice.

"You did, and I am now heading back to Stormwind…I am a little worried though." Mayik said, glancing backwards.

Andrew then noticed Liriana behind him. "Why? She doesn't look that dangerous—OH!" he then realized what Mayik was talking about.

"What?" Liriana asked.

"You aren't one of the current races in the Alliance." Andrew explained. "Knowing how stupid some guards are, they may attack you, thinking you are a Tauren."

"A…Tauren? Why would it matter if I was one or not?" she cluelessly asked.

"The Tauren are one of the races of the Horde, who the Alliance is at war with." Mayik explained.

"Oh…I'm still going with you. Maybe if they see me with you I might not get attacked." She said optimistically.

"Maybe, but this is risky. The only way for you to avoid the guards trying to attack or arrest you without me there is to talk to King Varian." Mayik said.

"Mind if I come with you guys? I really don't want to go back by myself; I won't get to Goldshire before nightfall, and there are bandits around."

"Sure, hop on Andrew!" Mayik exclaimed, with Liriana pulling the boy up into the saddle behind her.

"Thank you, Sir Mayik." Andrew said.

"No problem Andrew."

"And…uh…who are you exactly?" Andrew asked Liriana.

"Liriana Mistpaw, it's nice to meet you Andrew." She replied with a smile.

The group continued on towards Stormwind. They arrived at Goldshire a few hours before nightfall. The guards eyed Liriana, but did not attack, seeing she was not a race that was part of either faction. Mayik being with her was also why they didn't attack; they didn't want to deal with a Northrend veteran.

The group stopped about an hour from Stormwind for dinner, the sun about three hours from setting. Liriana volunteered to cook dinner, getting questioning looks from Andrew and Mayik.

"What? I learned how to cook when I was little! You both just wait."

Liriana made a stew from the meat and bread Mayik bought, as well as some of the horse feed. She had Andrew go out and pick some of the local herbs for spices, which only added to the flavor.

"Dinner is served!" Liriana happily said.

"You were right, this is delicious!" Andrew exclaimed, downing his second bowl. "Best meal I've ever had!"

"I agree!" Mayik agreed, draining his third bowl.

"I told you two, I know how to cook!" Liriana exclaimed with a smile. She poured herself second bowl.

"I'll say!" Andrew said, getting another bowl.

Eventually the big pot of stew was gone, devoured by the two boys. Liriana had only eaten three bowls, while they had six each. They sat for about a half hour before getting back on Lightfire, and started heading towards Stormwind again.

They reached Stormwind about an hour later. Mayik left Lightfire outside the city. As they walked through the gates, Liriana could feel eyes on her. She noticed how some, but not all of the guards had their hands on their weapons. Mayik noticed this too, and was ready to intervene if one attacked.

They walked through the Trade District, all eyes on Liriana. Two kids got into an argument about what she was.

"It's a Gnoll!" one boy yelled.

"No! It's a Furbolg!" a girl yelled at him.

They left the Trade District, heading towards the keep. When they got to the entrance, the royal guards put their hands on their weapons upon seeing Liriana.

_I do NOT feel welcome here… _she thought.

Mayik continued through to the throne room, with Liriana close behind him. She stopped at the doorway, waiting to be invited in, rather than just walking in. Mayik walked straight through to the middle of the room, and then kneeled down.

"My king, you wished to see me?" Mayik asked.

"No need for the kneeling Mayik, we can talk as old friends." King Varian walked over to where Mayik was kneeling. "But to answer your question, yes, I did need to speak with you…for more than one reason now…" Varian glanced over where Liriana was standing. "Come you two, walk with me." Varian started walking towards the small garden on the north-west side of the keep, with Mayik following. Mayik gestured for Liriana to come with them. She walked timidly alongside Mayik, not wanting to make eye-contact with the king.

"The first thing I wanted to talk about will have to wait." He stopped at turned to Liriana. "Who is your friend here, Mayik?"

"Liriana Mistpaw, sir…" Liriana timidly answered the question herself.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Liriana. I am Varian, Stormwind's king." Varian said. "I have never had the pleasure of meeting a Pandaren before. What are you doing in this region of Azeroth?"

"I…I am looking for a home to call my own. I fell off the island I lived on, and I will most likely never get back…" she sadly stated.

"Would you mind recounting how this happened?" Varian asked.

"Not at all." She said before beginning. She told of everything from the sparring match, to Mayik finding her, to the trip to Stormwind. When she ended her story, the sun had almost set, the last bits of sunlight coming into the garden. "And here I am."

"Hmm…it sounds like my friend Mayik here is the only reason you are here right now."

Mayik looked at the king, an un-asked question in his eyes. Varian simply nodded.

"Liriana, would you like to join the Alliance?" Varian asked.

She looked at him with shock, but nodded. "I-I would be honored to join. I already have a friend here, and the Alliance seems like a good faction of people. But…why?"

"Because you would be a great addition to the Alliance." Varian replied.

"I-I accept!" Liriana enthusiastically exclaimed.

"Good, there is one main rule for you though."

"Yes…go on." she said.

"As part of the Alliance, you must be ready to give aid to any of the races of the Alliance. The Alliance is consisted of five races, six including just you. These five races are humans, dwarves, gnomes, night elves, and draenei. You are to provide aid to any of these people, should they need it." Varian explained.

"I understand."

"Good. I need to know one thing though."

"Yes? What is it?" she asked.

"I need to know if you are able to fight for the Alliance, to defend the Alliance with your life. Spar with me, show me."

She looked at him in disbelief, not wishing to fight him.

"I was a pit fighter myself, so I know a thing or two about martial combat. Do you accept, Liriana?"

"I…I guess…" she said as she took her fighting stance.

"Good. Come on then!" he exclaimed as he took his stance.

She jabbed at him repeatedly, lashing out with Tiger Palms and Blackout Kicks. He dodged every one of them.

"Is that the best you can do?"

He laughed as she tried in vain to hit him.

"What are you waiting for, come on!" he continued taunting.

She kept trying, still being dodged by the king.

"COME ON PANDAREN, HIT ME!" he yelled, dropping his guard for a moment.

She saw this and, seizing the opportunity, sent a Blackout Kick flying at him. It hit him in his stomach, knocking him back onto his back, him laughing the whole way down. Mayik just looked on in disbelief.

"HAHAHAHAHA! I haven't felt this good in years! You are welcome among the ranks of the Alliance, Liriana."

"Thank you, sir." She said, bowing.

"Okay, down to business, Mayik, I need you to go to Redridge, and help Lakeshire. Blackrock Orcs are coming, and your assistance will be invaluable."

"Yes, my king, I will be heading out that way in two days." Mayik said, saluting.

"Liriana, you are to go with him. He may need your help."

"Yes sir." She said, bowing.

"Good, you two will head out to meet an old friend of Mayik's at Lakeshire, who is there with his team."

"Oh no…am I thinking of who you're talking about?" Mayik asked.

"That's right. John J. Keeshan…"

**Would you all believe I was able to hit a massive brick wall of writer's block on the second chapter? I was about to give up, but the single review I got made me edit chapter one AND finish this chapter. Thank you, you gave me the will to continue XD**

**I like this Varian I came up with better than his in-game self.**

**Suggestions? Criticisms? Compliments? Want to bring a hammer down on me for ruining Varian's character? Post a review or PM me. If you absolutely want to, PM me a character to replace Dorin Shadowwind and Vinder, I don't really have confidence in my ability to create them well enough. Aliyaa will NOT be changed.  
Character Form**

**Name:  
Age:  
Traits:  
Some back story:  
If you want them to get together with another character.**

**Anyway, LtDK…OUT!**


	3. The Morinar Pilgrim's Bounty, part 1

**Hey all, I meant to put this chapter up on Thanksgiving day, but got caught up in the family, playing WoW, and heavy procrastination, but here is chapter 3. Thank you for giving feedback, I usually edit the chapters I publish based on the nitpicking ****.**

**I own nothing in this story but the characters, everything else is blizzard's. (Liriana is really one of my WoW characters, except she isn't a Mistweaver. Mayik has had about 10 different forms due to my friend making a new Mayik when I'm not looking .)**

**Story Start**

Mayik nodded, and turned to leave, Liriana right behind him.

"Oh, and Mayik, happy Pilgrim's Bounty." Varian said as Mayik was leaving.

Mayik stopped, and turned back to Varian.

"You as well, my king." They started leaving again.

The two arrived outside the keep, the royal guards at the entrance no longer a threat to them. Mayik walked down the street to the dwarven district, intending to check on the smith's work on his new weapon. He entered the smoke-filled building, again smelling the different metals, with a new scent present. Liriana only recognized the smell of copper in the air.

"Oy, ye must be here to check on yer weapon, Sir Mayik." The two heard to their left, "Well, good news! Yer weapon was finished much faster than I thought it would be. The forge loved the metals, and they melded quickly." The dwarf presented Mayik with a hammer wrapped in cloth. Mayik un-wrapped it, and held it up to the light.

The hammer was gold colored, like his armor. The handle was covered in crimson, emerald, bronze, and azure dragon scales, probably from drakes that fell during the siege of Wyrmrest Temple, the home of the Red Dragonflight. In the middle of the head of the hammer, was an engraved picture of a torch. Below the torch, were two words etched in.

"Light's Melody." Mayik read the name, a smile coming to his face.

"A paladin came by when it was done and blessed the hammer, and named it that. It is your weapon, and yours only." The dwarf said. He was in a merry mood, the hammer's forging probably being what brought his spirits up. He didn't notice Liriana until she spoke her mind.

"That hammer…is…beautiful." She said, with amazement in her voice.

"Ah, so you are the Pandaren I've heard about!" the dwarf said. "What is yer name lassie?"

"Liriana Mistpaw, nice to meet you. You're a dwarf, correct?" Liriana asked.

"Aye, Smith Coldmountain, at yer service." The dwarf happily replied. "Trained by the finest smiths in Ironforge."

"Ironforge?" Liriana cluelessly asked. "Is that the dwarf city?"

"Yes, up in Dun Morough. There is a tram to transport you there right around the corner." Mayik answered.

"Ah, so that is what that hole in the wall was!" Liriana realized.

"Gnomish engineering at its finest." The dwarf said. "Takes you straight to Ironforge."

Liriana gained a slight glint in her eyes at the mention of engineering. Instantly becoming interested.

The smith pulled out a piece of paper, noticing the look. "Here, if either of you have the inkling, these are the directions to the gnome that teaches engineering. He owes me a favor anyways, so he should teach you." He handed the paper the Liriana.

"Well, it is getting late, we should probably get going. Thank you for your time, Smith Coldmountain." Mayik said as he turned to leave.

"Thank you, sir." Liriana bowed, and left with Mayik.

Liriana turned to Mayik when they got outside. "Well, what now?" she asked.

"Well, when I got back I planned to go see my family when I got back from Northrend, but Varian sidetracked me with that Westfall job." He answered, gaining a questioning look from Liriana.

"Northrend?" she asked.

"Northrend is a continent far to the north." He answered. "I really don't want to go into why I was there, too many bad memories. I may tell you later, I lost a friend there."

She wanted to know more, but didn't go into it, respecting his wishes. "Okay, I won't go into it." She said. "So… where does your family live?"

"Actually, they live on a farm just to the north of Stormwind." He answered, turning towards the other side of the district.

"Do…you think they will like me at all?" she asked, somewhat fearful of his family now.

"It's really just my dad who lives there. I…never knew my mother, or my sister Aliyaa. They were separated from us when Aliyaa and I were born. My aunt, uncle, and my cousin come every once in a while though." Mayik explained. "I'm sure they will though. They are very accepting."

They arrived at a two-story farm house. A chicken coop was in the back, with a field in the front. A small fruit orchard was next to the field. They heard a wolf barking from the house. A man stepped out with a black-furred wolf trailing behind him. He wore a red shirt, brown trousers, and brown leather boots. The man and wolf ran over to Mayik, the man pulling him into a hug, with the wolf yipping happily.

"Mayik? Mayik! It is good to see you safe and sound from Northrend, my son." The man nearly started crying. Liriana stood back, not wanting to interrupt the moment.

"It's good to be back, father." Mayik didn't cry, but was almost ready to.

The wolf jumped on Mayik, licking his face. "Haha, it's good to see you too George! How have you been boy?" George jumped down, and sat on the ground, panting.

Mayik's father then noticed Liriana. He disengaged from the embrace, while George became alert, ready to attack if need be. The man looked her up and down, then told George to stand down.

"Father, this is my friend—" Mayik began, but Liriana cut him off.

"Liriana Mistpaw, sir, nice to meet you." She said, bowing.

The man smiled. "You must be the Pandaren. Nice to meet you Liriana. I'm Aaron Morinar, Mayik's father."

_He was right, his father is pretty accepting._ She thought.

Aaron turned to Mayik, grinning. "That was quick, you found another girl already." He started laughing.

Mayik's face flushed a little. "Father!"

"Ha! I'm only joking Mayik!" Aaron nearly doubled over in laughter. Liriana started giggling a little, but was a little better at hiding her embarrassment. George walked over to Liriana, and started sniffing her paw. He licked her once, then turned and barked at Aaron, his tail wagging.

"Well, George likes you, and animals are the best judges of character in my opinion, after young children. You are welcome in my house, Liriana." Aaron said, scratching the wolf's ears. "Come on you two, it's late, and tomorrow the family is coming for Pilgrim's Bounty dinner."

They all entered the house, George stayed out for a little bit.

Mayik showed Liriana around the house. It had a living room with two wooden chairs and a couch, with a fireplace. The kitchen had a table in the middle, with some counters and cabinets around the outside. A metal spit was sitting next to another fireplace. Upstairs were four bedrooms. Mayik and Aaron had their own rooms, one of the rooms was set up for three people, and the fourth was for guests to sleep in. Each door had a flap at the bottom of it. Aaron bade Liriana and Mayik goodnight, then went to bed.

Mayik showed Liriana to her room. It had a bed covered with a red blanket. A desk sat against the left wall, a mirror on the wall above the desk. A window overlooked the field.

"This room was meant to be my sister's when…if she ever came here." Mayik said. "It should work well enough for you. Have a good night Liriana."

Mayik left for his room, leaving Liriana to herself. She went and looked out the window, and could have sworn she saw silver dots in a bush, looking at her. She laid down on the bed, wondering what the rest of the family would think of her. She eventually fell asleep.

She dreamed that she was sitting on a hill overlooking Stormwind. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to see Mayik smiling at her, with his arm now around her. He pulled her into a hug, and then everything faded out as she fell deep asleep.

Mayik had the same dream, except he was in the place of the Mayik in Liriana's dream.

Outside, George picked up on a familiar scent.

_Oh no, not her…_ the wolf thought, seeing a flash of purple. He went into the house after a minute, dreading what would happen tomorrow.

Liriana awoke with a start, feeling her toes being pawed at. She looked towards the foot of the bed and saw a black face staring at her. "George! Did you come to wake me up?" she asked the wolf. George barked once in response, then exited through the flap on the bottom of the door.

_Guess I better get up…_ she thought, nearly falling asleep again. She then heard a crash from across the hall.

"OW! Really George? Really? I haven't been back a day and you're already trying to kill me!" Liriana started giggling.

In Mayik's room, Mayik was laying on the floor, with George sitting on his chest. "You didn't wake Liriana up like this, did you?" Mayik asked. The wolf shook his head, barked once, and then ran through the flap in the door, and downstairs to the kitchen. Mayik got up off the floor, threw on a yellow shirt and black pants, then went downstairs as well.

Liriana heard Mayik going down the stairs, and got up as well. She walked over to the mirror hanging on the wall, noticing some of her fur was out of place. She gently smoothed it back to how it was, and then went downstairs.

Aaron was in the kitchen cooking bacon and eggs on a slab from one of the cabinets. Mayik was already sitting at the table, wrestling to keep George from the meat. Aaron turned upon hearing the stairs creak, and saw Liriana coming down.

"Liriana! Good morning, sleep well?" he asked, flipping a piece of bacon.

"I slept well, though I think Mayik got the rude awakening." She started giggling.

"You heard that?" Mayik asked. "George thought it would be funny to knock me out of the bed for a wake-up." He glared at the wolf.

"Well, breakfast is served!" Aaron said, putting the slab down on the table. Liriana went over and sat down, with Mayik across from her. She gave George two pieces of bacon, the wolf running to the corner to eat his meal. All three of them set upon the food, taking pieces onto their plates, devouring it all within ten minutes. Liriana offered to wash the plates, Mayik going outside to wash the slab. When everything was washed and put away, they all sat around the living room for about an hour before a knock was heard.

Aaron got up and opened the door, and had a pair of arms thrown around him. "Brother! Happy Pilgrim's Bounty!" a woman's voice called.

"Hahaha, Happy Pilgrim's Bounty, Carol!" Aaron happily said back. "Larry! Good to see you too! Janis as well! Come on in, someone you may want to see is here!"

Three people walked in: An older woman in her early forties, a man about the same age, and a young woman in her late teens. The old woman, Carol, had blonde hair down to the middle of her back. She wore a blue mage's robe. The man, Larry, had short black hair, and wore brown leather armor, with two daggers on his side. The young woman, Janis, had shoulder length red hair, and wore chainmail armor with a claymore on her back.

_This must be Mayik's aunt, uncle, and cousin._ Liriana thought.

The three ran over to Mayik, pulling him into a group hug. "I missed you guys too!" Mayik laughed out.

"We were so worried about you! You got sent to **Northrend **for goodness sakes!" Carol cried. "For all we knew, you could've been killed." They all held together for a minute, before they released Mayik.

"At least you're safe at home now." Larry said. "I told you he would be fine dear. He's a paladin, he is trained to fight the undead."

Janis looked around, seeing nothing out of place. She then noticed Liriana sitting in a chair, scratching George behind the ears. "Liriana, I presume?" Janis asked, smiling.

"Yes, but…how-" Liriana began, Janis cutting her off.

"You would be surprised how fast rumors and information spreads through the Alliance. I would bet that even Darnassus has heard of the Pandaren that has joined the Alliance." Janis explained.

"Darnassus?" Liriana asked, clueless as usual.

"Darnassus is the Night Elven capital city. A boat goes there from the Stormwind Harbor." Mayik answered.

"Nice to meet you Liriana, I'm Carol," Carol interrupted, "this is Larry, my husband," she gestured to Larry, "and you have already met my daughter, Janis."

"Well, nice to meet you three." Liriana did her little bow.

Janis pulled Mayik to the side, whispering in his ear. "I like her. She is way better than that other girl you had before you left." Mayik started laughing.

"I'm sorry to interrupt all of you, but we need to start preparing dinner, unless you all don't want to do the family games afterwards." Aaron said. "Carol, you're on cooking duty. Larry, prepare the kitchen. Janis, head out to the chicken coop and grabs some eggs. I'll head into Stormwind to grab some meat. Mayik, go pick some potatoes, turnips, and carrots from the field. George, would you mind going out and catching a turkey?" Everyone went to accomplish their tasks, Janis heading out back, Carol and Larry entered the kitchen, Mayik went out to the field, and George ran into the woods. Aaron went to leave, but turned to Liriana. "Liriana, you go to the orchard and pick some apples for the pie."

Liriana nodded, and went outside and over to the orchard.

Everyone was accomplishing their respective tasks. Carol was in the kitchen, cutting some herbs for spice. Larry was setting the table with forks, knives, and plates. Janis had to wrestle a few chickens that were angry at her for taking their eggs. George was chasing a turkey he found in the woods. Aaron went to the Trade District of Stormwind, looking for ingredients for the food. Liriana was picking apples and placing them into a basket. Mayik was filling a basket too, but with turnips, carrots, and potatoes on the far side of the field from the orchard.

Mayik pulled a turnip out of the ground, and was placing it into his basket, when he was pushed to the ground, with something on top of him. He heard a feminine laugh, along with paws on his back.

"Wha-?" Mayik began, but recognized the laugh.

_Oh no…_ he thought.

The figure got off him, letting him get up. He dusted himself off, then looked at her. She was a purple-furred cat, but had silver eyes and a necklace on.

"Oh Mayik...clumsy as always." The cat said in a sing-song voice.

"I told you when I left, we are through." Mayik sternly said.

"You didn't mean it." The cat happily said.

"Yes I did Elira." Mayik said.

"You just didn't want me hurt if you died." The cat, Elira, replied.

Aaron was just returning from the market, bag full of different ingredients, and saw Mayik talking to the cat.

_Oh come on, really? She decides to come NOW?_ He thought.

He walked over to them, wanting to see why Elira was there.

Mayik turned, and saw his father walking towards them.

"Elira! What the hell are you doing here?" Aaron asked when he got to them.

"I'm here to talk to my man, Aaron." Elira said.

Janis had gathered about twenty eggs, and was walking around the house, when she saw Aaron and Mayik talking with a purple cat. "Oh come on…" She said. She put the eggs in the kitchen, and told Larry and Carol about the cat.

All three of them exited the house, walking towards the group, with George coming out of the woods with a humongous turkey in his jaws. The wolf ran to the house, deposited the turkey in the kitchen, then ran to the group as well.

Janis got there first. "Elira." She plainly stated.

"Janis." Elira coldly said.

The rest of them arrived. "Elira, what a…pleasant surprise…" Carol said.

"What are you here for?" Larry quickly asked. George started softly growling at Elira.

"Like I told Aaron, I'm here to see my man." Elira said.

"I'm not 'your man' anymore, Elira." Mayik sternly stated.

"Yes, you are. I know you still love me, Mayik." Elira said stubbornly.

Mayik simply face palmed, shaking his head, sighing.

_How I fell for her, I'll never know…_ he thought.

Liriana put the last apple she could fit into the basket, and started walking back to the house. She left the orchard, and got halfway to the house, when she noticed the family surrounding a cat. She diverted her course from the house to the group, basket still in hand.

"No, I don't Elira." Mayik stated, getting frustrated.

"I know you do!" Elira stamped her cat paw on the ground.

"**NO I DON'T DAMN IT**!" Mayik shouted.

"I know you do still lo—"she noticed Liriana walking towards them, and hissed. "Tauren!" She started running at Liriana.

"NO ELIRA!" Mayik started running after her. Liriana saw the cat running at her, and dropped the basket to shift to her fighting stance.

Elira darted across the field, ready to kill if need be. She leapt at Liriana, claws outstretched, only to be flung through the air. She landed on her side, and shifted her shape.

Her feline body grew much taller and bulkier, with feathers and a head of an owl with deer antlers, having become a Moonkin. She let out a shriek, and began charging an emerald orb of nature energy. She threw the Wrath at Liriana, who rolled out of the way just in time. The Wrath impacted the ground, leaving a small crater. Liriana was then struck by a bluish-purple beam of arcane energy, the Moonfire inflicting a minor burn. Liriana rolled at Elira, popping up and jabbing her twice followed by a Blackout Kick, pushing Elira back and healing Liriana of the burns. Liriana noticed a ball of energy similar in color to the Moonfire, and instinctively jumped away when it was released. The Starfire left a bigger crater than the Wrath did, and left Elira open. Liriana moved to take advantage of the opening, but her body seized up. In her mind, like a whisper, two words were heard.

_Chi Wave_

A ball of jade energy formed in Liriana's palm. She threw it instinctively, the orb hitting Elira, then ricocheted back to Liriana, restoring her energy, and bounced between them multiple times. The orb finally ended its bouncing by smashing into Elira, knocking her backwards. On the way down, however, she shifted shape again.

Her Moonkin body became much bulkier, shorter, and had to stand on all four legs. She grew giant teeth, and let out a bellowing roar, having shifted into a purple-furred Bear.

Mayik had caught up to Elira at this point, meaning to intervene and stop the fight. "Elira! She isn't a Tau—" Mayik looked at Elira in horror, three giant gashes appeared on his chest. Elira had swung at Liriana, attempting to maul her, only for Mayik to jump in and intercept the blow.

"Mayik NO!" Liriana shouted in horror.

**Part two coming VERY soon…**

***Runs from giant wall of procrastination***


	4. The Morinar Pilgrim's Bounty, part 2

Mayik fell to the ground, blood oozing from the wounds. Elira stopped attacking, and began to cry, realizing what she had done. She shifted her shape into that of a tall woman, with violet hair that fell to the middle of her back. She had pointy ears, violet skin, and silver eyes, now clouded with tears. She dropped to her knees, weeping.

Liriana dropped too, but began moving her hands over the wounds. She concentrated for a moment, searching herself for her Mistweaver skills. A jade mist flowed from her hands onto the wound, slowly healing it.

The rest of the group arrived at the fight scene, and were horrified by what they saw: Mayik lying on the ground, bleeding, while Elira was weeping over him and Liriana attempting to heal the wound.

"ELIRA! WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Janis shouted in a rage, claymore un-sheathed.

"I…he…defended her…from me…" Elira said between sobs.

"Elira, you should probably leave before Janis rips you apart." Aaron said. Janis gave Aaron an agreeing look.

"No…I'm staying by him," Elira said, moving her hands next to Liriana's, "I'll help..." A green glow overcame her hands, and began her efforts of healing the wounds. Janis stepped forward threateningly.

"Leave Elira…NOW." Janis said in anger, stepping forward aggressively.

Elira broke her healing for an instant, casting an Entangling Roots spell, causing roots to wrap around Janis's legs, immobilizing her. She turned her attention back to the wound, the green glow reappearing. The gashes began closing faster, the blood flow slowing, then finally ceasing. Mayik coughed, a little bit of blood coming out.

Liriana sighed in relief; the wound had closed completely. She released her control over the mist, the flow from her paw abruptly ending. The green glow around Elira's hand dissipated, Elira smiling sadly. She got up, a tear falling from her eye. She turned and began to leave.

"Elira…thank you…" Janis said, the vines receding.

Elira turned and looked at her, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I caused him harm…it was my responsibility to aid him…" she turned again, taking a few more steps before a raspy voice was heard.

"El…Elira…" Mayik said, voice hoarse. The night elf sped up, shifting herself into that of a cheetah, speeding away. Liriana snapped her attention to Mayik, quickly picking him up in a hug, happy he was alright.

"Al…alright Liriana, that's enough." Mayik said, being crushed by the Pandaren hugging him. She let him down, apologizing.

"S-sorry Mayik…" she stuttered. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright. I've been through worse, like a dragon aspect clawing me or a giant skeletal construct hitting me with an axe bigger than I am." He said with a laugh. She stared at him. "Northrend, don't ask."

"Umm…who was that?" Liriana asked. Mayik sighed.

"Elira Naturebough. She was…my old girlfriend…" Mayik trailed off. She stared at him again. "I broke it off when I was sent to Northrend. I didn't want her to be hurt if I was killed, and she didn't take it too well…" He trailed off again, then started describing his departure where he broke up with Elira.

_Flashback_

_Mayik, two years younger, walked towards an armored boat that was to set sail to Northrend, where the Alliance and the horde were currently clashed in conflict with the Scourge, the undead under the control of the Lich King. He was flanked on either side by two of his oldest friends. On his left was Jacob Kindar, Mayik's old training mate. Jacob was a warrior specialized in dual wielding swords, and wore silver plate armor with two longswords strapped to his back. On Mayik's right, was Farkin Redbraids, a dwarf priest specializing in holy healing. He wore white robes with a ginormous golden staff, with a red gem in the middle of the head. Already on the boat were thirty other heroes. They were all part of a guild, called "The Might of Azeroth". The guild had lead the raids on the lords of Outland, the original home of the Draenei and the Orcs. Before that, they led the assaults on the Ragnaros the Firelord, the Blood God of the Trolls Hakkar, Onyxia and Nefarian the great black dragons, as well as the old god, C'Thun. The guild had been a hundred strong then, but countless battles had caused their numbers to dwindle to barely thirty. Mayik mentally prepared himself to step onto the boat, when he felt an armored hand on his shoulder. "I'm with you Mayik." Jacob said, smiling at his old friend._

"_Aye, so am I" Farkin said._

"_Thanks guys, you've been good friends. It has been an honor for you to fight by my side." Mayik said, smiling._

_A female voice yelled from behind them. "MAYIK!" Mayik turned, and saw Elira at the beginning of the dock. She ran to him, and threw her arms around him._

"_Elira…I told you not to come…" Mayik said, before being cut off by a crying Elira._

"_I had to see you off…I wish you didn't have to go…" She paused, then leaned toward him._

_Mayik turned away. "I'm sorry…I can't…" he said sadly, pulling away from her. "Goodbye…Elira…" he turned and walked onto the boat._

_Elira broke down at this, and shifted into a cheetah, running all the way back to the Stormwind park district._

_Mayik sighed. "Let's go." The other two walked onto the boat, which began moving when they were onboard._

_Flashback end_

The group had moved inside the house, Liriana listening intently while everyone else but Mayik was finishing the holiday feast. When he finished, he sighed. "She didn't take it well…I heard that she would barely do anything for a month. Eventually, I realized something: I was happier without her."

"I…see…" Liriana said.

"Lunch is ready you two." Carol said, everyone else sitting at the table.

"Well, let's eat!" Mayik said happily. He jumped up and nearly ran into the dining area, and took a seat in his spot. Liriana followed, taking her spot across from Mayik. Everyone was seated, even George, who was sitting in a chair as well. When Liriana sat, Aaron began a quick prayer to the Light. When he finished, everyone quickly dug in. The feast consisted of candied and mashed potatoes, turnip stew, turkey, apples, diced carrots, ham, and eggs. When everyone was finished, the plates were quickly cleaned up and put away.

"Uh…now what?" Liriana asked.

"A Morinar tradition." Aaron smirked, going up to his room. Mayik grinned, then went to his room as well. When they came down about ten minutes later, Aaron was dressed in chainmail, a bow on his back, and a quiver with arrows with him. Mayik was dressed in chainmail as well, with a light shield on his arm, and Light's Melody on his waist.

Liriana stared dumbly at them.

"We always have a big family fight after lunch. It's our way of settling family feuds." Aaron explained. Liriana nodded.

"Would it be fine with you if I joined in?" She asked.

"I don't see why not. Come on everyone!"

Everyone filed outside with their equipment, which were temporarily enchanted by Carol to knock the opponent out when for a few minutes when they would have been killed. A big circle was formed, with each occupant eyeing each other, picking targets. George howled, and Aaron yelled "GO!"

Aaron launched an arrow at Carol, who deflected it with an ice barrier, followed by a Fireball which was dodged. George sprinted at Carol, ready to take her down.

Larry vanished into the shadows, reappearing behind Mayik, who blocked the backstab with his shield, then spin-swiped with his hammer in a Crusader Strike.

Janis charged at Liriana, who knocked the incoming claymore swing away with her paw, then returned with a Blackout kick to the stomach.

Aaron and Carol were locked in a ranged duel, trading arrow for fireball, while George's paws were frozen to the ground after an Ice Nova hit him. A Fireball flew over Aaron's head, hitting Mayik in the back. Aaron returned with a carefully aimed shot, breaking Carol's Ice Barrier, and knocking her out when it struck her forehead.

Larry saw his wife go down, then grabbed some dirt and threw it in Mayik's eyes, blinding him. Larry then vanished and appeared behind Aaron, quickly knocking him out with a series of stabs in the back. He was then knocked out by Janis who broke combat to charge him for an easy knockout.

Mayik recovered from the dirt to see Larry go down, and threw an Avenger's Shield at Janis, knocking her out from the blow. He then turned to Liriana, who was unhurt from the fight with Janis. They ran at each other, meeting in the middle in a flurry of blows. Liriana traded each hammer strike with a jab, each Avenger's Shield with a Blackout Kick, and each Crusader Strike with a Tiger Palm. Everyone else awoke, one at a time, to see the two clashed in battle. Each hit from Mayik was almost healed over from Liriana's attacks. She threw a Chi Wave, hitting Mayik four times, while also hitting her in-between each hit on him. The last bounce knocked Mayik back a little, who retaliated with an Exorcism, the holy blast dealing massive damage to Liriana. He then concentrated for a moment, a holy hammer forming in his hand. He threw the Hammer of Wrath, tasting victory. Liriana panicked, but her instincts caused her to reflexively dodge the hammer. It flew past her, but she reached out and did something only one other person had done before: she caught it. Mayik's eyes went wide, realizing what was going to happen. "Oh crap…" he said, as Liriana spun from catching the hammer, then used the momentum to hurl it back at him, nailing him in the chest. He staggered for a second, and then collapsed, out cold.

Liriana stood there panting from exhaustion. Everyone was stunned.

"That was amazing!" Janis screeched.

"I agree, nobody has ever beaten Mayik. Until now, each year was really just to see who could make it to just them and Mayik before he clobbered everyone." Larry said, smiling. "At least his win-streak is over."

Mayik awoke a few minutes later, feeling very sore. Everyone was standing around him, silent. He started laughing. "Just like Jacob did to the Argent Crusade champion!" he laughed out, before a wave of pain hit him. "Hurrgh…never realized how much that spell HURTS." He grunted.

Janis rubbed her side. "Your shield hurts too. I'm still feeling that hit."

Aaron helped Mayik to his feet. "Well, son, you've finally been beaten. Liriana pulled probably the best move I've ever seen: she threw your own damn hammer back at you." Aaron laughed

Mayik rubbed his chest a little. "Yeah…remind me to never…EVER try that again on you!"

Liriana giggled. "Noted."

Everyone pestered Mayik about his defeat. When they were done, they all went inside to relax for a few hours from the fight.

"Crap. We are supposed to head out to Redridge tomorrow…" Mayik said, sighing.

Liriana remembered who they were supposed to meet, and decided she had better ask about him. "Who's this Keeshan man we are supposed to meet?"

"Keeshan is sort of an old friend of mine. I got him out of a cave where he was held for years by orcs. He repaid me by killing a bunch on the way out so I wouldn't be troubled by him." Mayik said. "He's a war hero."

Liriana nodded, half wanting, half dreading to meet him.

"We should probably turn in early; the road to Redridge is very long." Mayik said, getting up.

"I guess…" Liriana said, getting up as well.

"Goodnight all, Liriana and I are going to turn in; we have a long road tomorrow." Mayik said as he walked up the stairs.

Liriana followed to her room, then went in. She went and got in bed, falling asleep very quickly.

She woke the next morning, feeling refreshed. She got up, went over to the mirror, smoothed out that fur spot that always got out of place, and exited the room to go downstairs. When she got down, Mayik was sitting at the table clad in his armor, hammer at his waist, shield on his back.

"Liriana, good morning. You ready to head out? We can eat breakfast on the road." Mayik said, getting up.

"Ready Mayik. Let's go." She said, turning toward the door to follow him out.

"Liriana, wait." Aaron said, getting up from the table.

"Yes Aaron?" She asked.

He walked over and embraced her. "You keep each other safe." He said, to both of them. When he let go of Liriana, she nodded, as did Mayik. "Good. Don't do anything stupid Mayik." He said, half-jokingly.

"Hey!" Mayik exclaimed at his father.

"Go on you two, go help Redridge." Aaron said, as he went back to the table to finish his breakfast.

"Let's go." Mayik said, as he went outside. Liriana followed him, heading towards the Stormwind gates. When they got to the gates, Lightfire was waiting for them. She whinnied at the return of her rider and his friend.

"Yes, yes. I'm back." Mayik said, getting in the saddle. He pulled Liriana up, and they set off at a trot into the forest, heading towards Redridge.

**Sup. WAY overdue chapter, I know. That big wall o' procrastination got me.**


End file.
